8. Plug into Prayer

One of the greatest things about God for us is the way in which He makes Himself so available to us.

He wants to hear from His children every day. When we talk to God, He listens,understands, and acts in ways that are in our best interest. Intimate fellowship and communication with God help to keep our lives on track. So, it is important to spend some time every day in prayer to God.

God gives us considerable motivation to pray. He guarantees that when we pray, no matter what the situation, we will come to experience His peace. Paul told the Philippian church in Philippians 4:6,7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God gives us an exciting promise through the apostle John. He writes in 1 John 5:13-15, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of Him.”

No wonder prayer is mentioned more in the Bible than love or hope, or that it’s referred to as often as faith. It’s no wonder there are 650 prayers in the Bible. Prayer is the way in which we invite the God of heaven and earth to be actively involved in our lives, and in the affairs of our church, nation and world. Many Christians attest to the “power in prayer.” Actually, the power is in GOD who so graciously and lovingly answers our prayers. He doesn’t force Himself on us, but intervenes in our lives only by invitation. It’s important we learn early on in our Christian walk the importance of daily prayer.

Our society is so meeting oriented that it might be good to think of our daily time with God as a meeting–the meeting that matters most each day. In fact, I believe that is how Jesus looked at the matter of prayer. Because Jesus knew God so well, He prayed with absolute consistency and intensity. Jesus knew that prayer was a meeting with God Almighty, a meeting that would have a concrete bearing on His daily life and the eternal destiny of the world. Of all the meetings that pressed in on Jesus, He knew that there was one meeting which necessarily determined the success of His other meetings. Prayer, for Jesus, was the meeting that mattered most.

The gospel of Luke gives to us detailed accounts of Jesus in prayer. There is no question that His life forms the example for us at this point. The busier things became, the more Jesus determined to continually pull away for the periods of prayer, thus bringing divine power into His hectic schedule. For example, Luke tells us in Luke 5:15, 16, “The news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of the sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

There are very few times in Jesus’ life where we do not find Him in prayer.

He prayed all night before the selection of the twelve apostles as we read in Luke 6:12.

He repeatedly prayed in the presence of His disciples as seen in Luke 9:18.

Jesus prayed specifically for Peter in Luke 22:31, 32, that after the crucifixion Satan would not have power over Peter’s life.

Jesus also prayed at all of the crucial times in His own life. We find Him in prayer at His baptism, in Luke 3:21, at the transfiguration in Luke 9:8, in Gethsemane as He faced the cross in Luke 22:39

Jesus prayed in the face of death itself as we see in Luke 23:46.

It is almost an understatement of us to say that prayer was a way of life for Jesus. It was the way of life that enabled Him to live victoriously as He drew strength from His constant fellowship and communication with God.

Surely, if Jesus, the sinless son of God, felt the need for daily prayer, we can also see its importance in our own lives. I want to encourage you to begin setting aside time when you can talk to God alone. He wants to hear from you. During your prayer times you will come to know the love and grace of God more fully.

In the next few studies we will give you some practical suggestions that will help you in your daily prayer time.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND STUDY

1. When we pray, regardless of the circumstances, what does God guarantee to give us according to Philippians 4:6,7?

2. What other exciting promise does God give to us in 1 John 5:13-15 concerning prayer?

3. How many prayers are found in the bible?

4. Many Christians say there is “power in prayer”, but where does the power actually come from?

5. What was the meeting that mattered the most to Jesus?

6. The busier things became for Jesus, the more He determined to do what according to Luke 5:15, 16?

7. On what occasions did Jesus pray, and for what or whom did He pray?

A. Luke 9:16, 22:16

B. Luke 6:12 –

C. Luke 9:18 –

D. Luke 22:31,32 –

E. Luke 3:21 –

F. Luke 9:28ff. –

G. Luke 22:39ff. –

H. Luke 23:46 –

8. If Jesus, the sinless son of God, felt the need for daily prayer, can you see the need for such prayer in your own life?